Process for the pasteurization of sap and products thereof

Abstract

The present document describes a process for the sterilization and/or pasteurization of sap without denaturing polyphenols and other ingredients present therein, and a sap product prepared from the processes.

1 . In a method of sterilization and/or pasteurization of sap or sap concentrate; the improvement characterized in the step of:
 a) sterilization treatment of said sap or sap concentrate for a time sufficient to substantially inhibit microbial growth in said sap or sap concentrate with minimal taste alteration, or
 pasteurization treatment of said sap or sap concentrate for a time sufficient to pasteurize, wherein said pasteurization treatment is at least one of a heat pasteurization treatment, a High Temperature Short Time (HTST) treatment, a thermization treatment, a centrifugation treatment, a UV treatment, and combinations thereof, or 
 micro-filtration of said sap or sap concentrate with a micro-filter of pore size between about 0.1 μm to about 1 μm, 
   or combinations thereof,   prior to transporting, storing and transporting, transporting and storing, performing a sterilization treatment, or combinations thereof, of said sap or sap concentrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising step b) after step a):
 b) sterilization treatment of said sap or sap concentrate for a time sufficient to substantially inhibit microbial growth in said sap or sap concentrate with minimal taste alteration or   desiccation treatment of said sap or sap concentrate for a time sufficient to substantially eliminate water in said sap or sap concentrate.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step a′) before or after step b):
 a′) storing said sap or sap concentrate. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step a″) before or after step b):
 a″) transporting said sap or sap concentrate. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step a′″) before or after steps a′):
 a′″) transporting said sap or sap concentrate. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said heat pasteurization treatment is by heating from about 50° C. to at about 100° C. for a time sufficient to pasteurize, and wherein said time sufficient to pasteurize is from about 10 seconds to about 150 minutes. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said heat pasteurization treatment is a High Temperature Short Time (HTST) treatment from about 70° C. to 100° C. for about 15 seconds to about 30 seconds. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said pasteurization treatment is a thermization treatment from about 63° C. to about 65° C., for about 15 to 25 seconds. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said centrifugation treatment is a bactofugation treatment. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said desiccation is at least one of a lyophilization, a spray drying, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 3   13 , wherein said storing is at least one of freezing said sap or sap concentrate, refrigerating said sap or sap concentrate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sterilization treatment is at least one of a heat sterilization treatment, a dry heat sterilization treatment, a tyndallisation treatment, an upperization treatment, a high pressure processing (HPP) treatment, canning, a ultrasound treatment, a CO 2  treatment, a UV treatment, a gamma ray treatment, a X-ray treatment, a pulsed light sterilization treatment, a microwave sterilization treatment, a pulsed electric field sterilization, a pulsed magnetic field sterilization, an ozone sterilization treatment, a microfiltration, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said heat sterilization treatment is from about 100° C. to about 160° C. for about 1 seconds to about 60 seconds, or from about 130° C. to about 150° C. for about 2 seconds to about 8 seconds, or from about 115° C. to about 137° C. for about 15 minutes to about 130 minutes, or from about 137° C. to about 140° C. for about 2 seconds to about 10 seconds. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said high pressure processing (HPP) treatment is from about 999,74 kPa to about 999 739,808 kPa for about 4 minutes to about 30 minutes, or from about 599 843,885 kPa for about 15 minutes, or from about 599 843,885 kPa for about 6 minutes, or from about 599 843,885 kPa for about 4 minutes. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said tyndallisation treatment is from about 70° C. to about 100° C., for about 30 mins to about 120 mins, for 3 consecutive days. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said upperization treatment is from about 140° C. to about 150° C., for about 2 secs to about 3 seconds, followed by homogenization of said sap or sap concentrate. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said UV treatment is from about 2000 μW s/cm 2  to about 9500 μW s/cm 2  of ultraviolet light for a time sufficient to effect sterilization, or from about 10 kGy to about 100 kGy, or from about 10 kGy or less, or from 5 kGy or less. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said gamma ray treatment is from about 10 kGy to about 100 kGy, or from about 1 kGy to about 15 kGy, or from about 1 kGy to about 10 kGy. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said X-ray treatment is from about 10 kGy to about 50 kGy or from about 1 kGy to about 15 kGy, or from about 1 kGy to about 10 kGy. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said sap or sap concentrate is produced by a plant chosen from an  Acer  tree, a birch, a pine, a hickory, a poplar, a coconut from a coconut palm tree ( Cocos nucifera ), and an agave.